1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an oxidation exhaust trap for filtering a particulate product of a first gas contacted with a gaseous oxidizing agent. More specifically, this invention relates to an oxidation exhaust trap for filtering silica resulting from the oxidation of silane with air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Exhaust gases which contain silane and must be subjected to cleaning are being produced today in many branches of industry, as for example in the production of silicon compounds, in the packing of silicon compounds, in the production and bottling of silane-containing gas mixtures, and in the production of semiconductors.
Conventional methods of disposal, such as scrubbing, burning, or washing in wash towers present great problems with regard to the expense, maintenance, and complexity of the equipment necessary to carry out these methods.
Of these methods, scrubbing the gases containing the silane is most popular. While this method has its benefits, it requires complex and expensive apparatus. Furthermore, the maintenance of the scrubber caused by the silane containing gases is very costly and time consuming. The silane tends to clog the scrubber's exhaust system filters. Thus to maintain the scrubber properly, the filters need to be cleaned periodically. Making matters worse is that the processes which feed the scrubber, including those which produce the silane gas, must be shut down while the maintenance is performed.